


until our ribs get tough

by piggy09



Series: Obscure Word Fics [5]
Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Spoilers through Episode 9 probably, Standard "who knows when this takes place" warning, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-27
Updated: 2014-01-27
Packaged: 2018-01-10 05:52:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1155905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/piggy09/pseuds/piggy09
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“And then,” Kira finishes excitedly, “the knight saved her from the tower and they lived happily ever after!” She closes the book and looks at you, beaming. </p>
<p>(Helena isn't sure where she fits in Kira's story, but Kira is absolutely certain.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	until our ribs get tough

**Author's Note:**

> From a prompt on Tumblr:  
> "Helena & Kira | Baisemain: a kiss on the hand."
> 
> I challenge you to try and write Helena and Kira without it getting sweeter than Jell-O with sugar on top. CONSIDER THE GAUNTLET THROWN

“And then,” Kira finishes excitedly, “the knight saved her from the tower and they lived happily ever after!” She closes the book and looks at you, beaming. You look at her from where you are curled up on the other end of the couch. Sometimes you feel like it isn’t right to touch Kira. Last time you touched her—

You flinch, and Kira reaches a tiny hand and puts it on your knee. You can’t stop looking at it, picturing it broken, bloody, grasping the cage bars and you look at her with wide eyes. She is fine. You are fine. She looks back at you and her smile falls off her face.

“What’s wrong?” she asks with concern. “Did you not like the story?”

“No,” you blurt, suddenly afraid. Then you manage to calm yourself. With Kira you can pull in all your sharp edges and be, for a moment, soft. “No,” you murmur. “The story was very nice.”

Kira nods distractedly and fiddles with the storybook. “I want a knight to protect me from bad things,” she says firmly. “Like scientists, and people with guns, and my mum leaving again, and…and…dragons!”

She snarls the last part at you, stretching her little fingers into claws, before dissolving into giggles. She puts down the book and snuggles in close to you. Your arms hang in the air for a moment before resting around her, gently, gently. You are so afraid. You are not sure, yet, that you know how not to break things.

“Helena?” she murmurs from somewhere close to your heart.

“Yes, angel?” you say back, softly.

“Will you be my knight?”

You want to say _no_. You are not a knight. You don’t have any shining armor, just your big green coat. If you are anything you are a dragon, with big terrible claws and stinking breath and a horrible habit of taking the things you love without asking them first and holding them too tightly.

But Kira is looking up at you with big eyes, and you can feel the tickle of her hair under your chin. She smells like hope, and Sarah, which are mostly the same thing.

“Of course, child,” you say, your voice rusting like the bowels of the ship you lived in. Back when you were wrong. “Of course I will be your knight.”

Kira wriggles out of your grasp with what you have learned is a childish energy. Not sin. She sits across from you, legs folded and face solemn. Her eyes are sparkling. Kira is more light than you are, surely.

She holds out her hand, palm down. You look at her, then at her hand, and reach out and shake it like Sarah taught you to do when meeting new people. It’s awkward, when her hand is in such a strange position. It is very warm and soft in yours.

“No, silly,” she giggles. “You’re supposed to kiss it!”

You look at her and can’t help smiling. It stretches the corners of your mouth and feels strange. You love this girl so much that you would do anything to protect her.

_Yes_ , you think suddenly. _I would be her knight_.

You reach out carefully and kiss the top of her hand. 

**Author's Note:**

> You're the only friend I need (you're the only friend I need)  
> Sharing beds like little kids (sharing beds like little kids)  
> We'll laugh until our ribs get tough (we'll laugh until our ribs get tough)  
> But that will never be enough (but that will never be enough)  
> \--"Ribs," Lorde


End file.
